Investigation into live hosted radio | ACMA

Investigation into live hosted radio

In January 2010 the Australian Communications and Media Authority (the ACMA) released the report of its investigation into whether current regulatory arrangements are providing appropriate community safeguards in relation to the treatment of participants and subjects in live hosted entertainment programs on commercial radio.

The investigation found community concern around the treatment of participants in commercial radio, and that this concern is greater when the participant is a child. The investigation also found that the codes do not adequately address these concerns. The ACMA has requested that the industry develops new codes that include specific provisions for addressing the issues raised in the investigation including:

preventing the exploitation of participants in commercial radio programs

ensuring the radio industry has practices and processes in place that provide safeguards for participants in commercial radio programs and that these are transparent to the public

providing special provisions for dealing with children as participants in commercial radio programs, including the requirement that the best interests of the child is the licensee’s key consideration, irrespective of any consent given.

You can access the report, Live hosted entertainment radio programs: Adequacy of community safeguards for the protection of participants (Word 468 kb or PDF 364 kb) and the related media release, here